2018 Roster Best Guesses?

[MoreTrife]

With all the excitement over the rebuild, I started to think about 2018 season. Seems to be when most hope/believe that we will begin to be seriously competitive.

 

Here's my best guess for what the roster will look like at the major positions and the players age at the time:

 

SP

1. Josh Hader (24 years old)

2. Zach Davies (25 years old)

3. Jimmy Nelson (29 years old)

4. Junior Guerra (33 years old) - he's a young 33 haha

5. veteran free agent signing?

 

Knocking on the door or bullpen

Jacob Barnes (28 years old)

Corey Knebel (26 years old)

Damien Magnifico (27 years old)

Brandon Woodruff (25 years old)

Phil Bickford (23 years old)

Cody Ponce (24 years old)

free agent

free agent

free agent

 

Position Players

1st Base:

Ryan Braun (34 years old)

 

2nd Base:

Jonathan Villar (27 years old)

 

SS:

Orlando Arcia (23 years old)

 

3rd Base:

Hernan Perez (27 years old)

 

Catcher:

??? free agent old man?

 

Left Field:

Domingo Santana (25 years old)

 

Center Field:

Lewis Brinson (23 years old)

 

Right Field:

Brett Phillips (24 years old)

 

Bench/knocking at the door:

free agent utility veteran

free agent

Scooter Gennet

free agent

free agent?

 

No idea about bench.

[adambr2]

Good thread. Was thinking of posting something like this myself but was aiming more later like 2019/20 when some of our best prospects are ready.

 

For 2018, I can't pencil in Isan Diaz anywhere like I would like to, I don't think he'll be quite there, but maybe AAA knocking on the door by July.

Same with Corey Ray. Probably 2019 ETA.

 

Braun at 1st seems plausible, unless he's traded in the mesntime. But we've been projecting Braun at 1st for years and he hasn't played a single inning there to my knowledge, so who really knows.

 

If Scooter is still here in 2018, I don't see any reason he'd be on the bemch. I think he'd still be on 2nd until Diaz arrives, Villar at 3rd. I think people are a little too bullish on Perez. I'd be thrilled if he turns into a Jerry Hairston super utility type, but I don't project him as a starter in 2 years.

 

Outfield looks pretty good to me. Clark and Ray probably won't be ready, Brinson will.

 

Knocking on the door seems about right for Bickford, but Ortiz needs to be in there somewhere. I think he's in the rotation, hopefully, by 2018, at least at some point in the season. I highly doubt that all of Davies, Nelsom, and Guerra will still be here.

[MadThinker88]

2018 to be seriously competitive?? That pitching is way too thin...

 

Think 2019 at the earliest to chase a wild card for the full season (figure getting eliminated in mid to late September).

 

Full push in 2020 is much more realistic..

[Ennder]

C is likely to be Susac and some FA would be my guess.

 

I don't think Perez is going to stick at 3B for that long. 2018 could be the year we start to think about winning more than about the future, but we won't be a contender that fast.

 

2018 is a huge year for free agents as well with one of the better classes in recent history, I wonder if we sign a few guys since we will have a lot of free money for a few years in there.

[3and2Fastball]

Phillips needs to really start hitting or he will need to repeat AA ball in 2017. Doesn't seem like he's on a path to MLB in 2018, but we'll see

 

I would pencil in Susac at Catcher for now

[MoreTrife]

2018 to be seriously competitive?? That pitching is way too thin...

 

Think 2019 at the earliest to chase a wild card for the full season (figure getting eliminated in mid to late September).

 

Full push in 2020 is much more realistic..

 

Well that is depressing! I'll keep hope alive.

[MrTPlush]

2018 to be seriously competitive?? That pitching is way too thin...

 

Think 2019 at the earliest to chase a wild card for the full season (figure getting eliminated in mid to late September).

 

Full push in 2020 is much more realistic..

 

Honestly that pitching is pretty good if guys pitch as expected. Nelson/Davies will be solid, Hader should be solid, and Guerra could be solid as well. Maybe there is no TOR guy, but that rotation could win games for us. Ortiz could very well be on the team and put up TOR stats. The bullpen could be really solid. Thornburg/Ponce/Bickford is quite a back end. I know he didn't list Thornburg, but after dumping the other two I think they may hold onto him.

 

The offense is hit or miss, but I think we could add two semi-major free agents to shore up two positions. Be that a starter and a position player or two position players.

 

I think they could compete in 2018...I wouldn't bet on it, but the talent is there to do it. It would take a lot of things to go right though.

[adambr2]

I'm hoping that '19/'20 is a big coming out year for some high end prospects of ours. Ray, Clark, and Diaz, if they pan out, should all arrive close to then. Maybe Bickford too if he isn't up yet.

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

I same to remember a similar thread trying to project the 2006 team. My rotation of Ben Sheets, Chris Capuano, Mike Jones, Ben Hendrickson, and Luis Martinez didn't quite pan-out. I suspect that we will sell off an asset by 2018 for talent at a position of weakness. That is one reason why we have accumulated so many centerfielders.

[JohnBriggs12]

2018 to be seriously competitive?? That pitching is way too thin...

 

Think 2019 at the earliest to chase a wild card for the full season (figure getting eliminated in mid to late September).

 

Full push in 2020 is much more realistic..

 

If Guerra is still dealing, Davies continues on and Hader lives up to his promise, the pitching could be a strength. Any number of guys figure in the discussion for the remaining spots.

[JohnBriggs12]

C is likely to be Susac and some FA would be my guess.

 

I don't think Perez is going to stick at 3B for that long. 2018 could be the year we start to think about winning more than about the future, but we won't be a contender that fast.

 

2018 is a huge year for free agents as well with one of the better classes in recent history, I wonder if we sign a few guys since we will have a lot of free money for a few years in there.

 

Perez will be playing somewhere, either in the OF or IF, maybe even 1B. If he continues to grow as a hitter, he becomes a core player for the next 3-4 years.

[MrTPlush]

Scooter Gennett will either be at 2B or gone. He is worth more to trade then to have a 2B only bench bat who can't hit LHP.

[MadThinker88]

2018 to be seriously competitive?? That pitching is way too thin...

 

Think 2019 at the earliest to chase a wild card for the full season (figure getting eliminated in mid to late September).

 

Full push in 2020 is much more realistic..

 

Well that is depressing! I'll keep hope alive.

 

Nothing wrong with hope. Just easier to be realistic. It's easier to expect some injuries will delay some prospects and derail others. Consider this: Baseball is a game of failure, how it is dealt with and overcome. A guy with .300 batting average is thought to be very good but it also means he fails 70% of the time. Prosepcts successfully getting thru the minors and making to the bigs, let alone having a monster impact is a lot less than 30%

 

It's part of the reason why building a lot of depth thru the minors is important.. It enables a team to switch from plan A to plan B to plan C if necessary and hopefully not delay a process.

 

DS needs another year plus of bringing in the talent. Right now I am seeing weakness in the pitching ranks. More is needed. A lot more.

 

I believe DS has the ability to bring the pitching talent in.

He just needs more time. And some luck. Every GM can use a little luck..

[MadThinker88]

Scooter Gennett will either be at 2B or gone. He is worth more to trade then to have a 2B only bench bat who can't hit LHP.

 

2B needs an upgrade. Scooter is not the answer for the long term..

[pacopete4]

1B- Braun

2B- Villar

3B- Erceg

SS- Arcia

LF- Ray

CF- Brinson

RF- Phillips

[MadThinker88]

1B- Braun

2B- Villar

3B- Erceg

SS- Arcia

LF- Ray

CF- Brinson

RF- Phillips

 

Very possible to see that. Scooter's game does not translate well to a bench role so he would be gone, either via trade or non-tender..

[Crash2303]

Here's my optimistic "clean house" version of 2018- continuing to trade off short-term assets in favor of young, controllable high upside prospects, save a MLB ready 3B. I don't think we'll start spending big to supplement contending pieces until 2019.

 

STARTING LINEUP

1B- Braun (I just don't see him being traded, and unless we pick up a stud 1B, the outfield will be too crowded for him to stay)

2B- Villar (with his strong arm and decent range, I think he would be an awesome second baseman)

SS- Arcia (of course)

3B- someone we pick up in a trade

C- Susac

RF- Santana

CF- Brinson

LF- Phillips (will spend 2017 raking in Colorado Springs with a September callup, ready to burst on the 2018 scene)

 

BENCH

U- Orf (provides bench with incredible flexibility)

U- Perez (provides bench with incredible flexibility)

C- Pinto (think Kottaras but w/ more offense)

OF- [Wren, Liriano, Broxton, Reed, Flores] (hopefully will be given opportunities the remainder of this season and next to prove what they've got in the show. have to believe that 1-2 of them, at least, will show that they are MLB starting caliber OFs.

OF- [Wren, Liriano, Broxton, Reed, Flores]

STARTING PITCHING

Nelson

Davies

Hader- (he will find his control- don't you worry)

Jungmann- (he will find his control- don't you worry)

Lopez- (he will find his control- don't you worry)

 

BULLPEN

Knebel

Blazek

Barnes

Magnifico

Barrios- (if he continues where he left off before his injury- I think he will turn into an excellent bullpen arm)

Nolin- (if he continues where he left off before his injury- I think he will turn into an excellent bullpen arm)

Wilkerson or Suter

UP AT SOME POINT AFTER MAY IN 2018 TO TAKE A ROSTER SPOT FROM SOMEONE (THOUGH I WOULD PREFER 2019 TO NOT BURN CLOCK)

P- Ortiz

P- Woodruff

TRADED BEFORE BEGINNING OF 2018 SEASON

Peralta- (going to bounce back to promising 2014 numbers in 2017 and be traded in the offseason)

Anderson- (going to have a solid 2017 and be traded in the offseason)

Carter- (going to put up a big first half once again and be traded at the 2017 trade deadline)

Gennett- (after another year of batting .285/.340/.440 and hitting against lefties will be traded after 2017)

Maldonado- (will be traded this offseason to open the way for Pina/Susac/Pinto for 2017 MLB playing time)

Pina- (will be the 2017 starting catcher, have a great season, but due to age, will be traded at the deadline to a contender in need of a catcher upgrade)

Guerra- (going to finish the year strong and then continue where he left off in 2017 and be traded as a centerpiece of a packaged deal at the deadline)

Thornburg- (will be our dominant reliever for the rest of the year and be shipped away in the offseason)

Marinez/Torres- (one will be traded by the end of this season and the other will be traded at some point before next season's trade deadline)

[pacopete4]

Interesting you'd have Brinson up over Phillips when Brinson is in AAA and Phillips in AA.

[monty57]

I don't know how things will shake out, but we should have a total team payroll of around $30M (leaving us around $70-80M to spend) with this as the list of potential free agent SP going into 2018 (courtesy of Cots):

 

Henderson Alvarez

Jake Arrietta

Clay Buchholz

Madison Bumgarner *

Matt Cain *

Tyler Chatwood

Wei-Yin Chen *

Alex Cobb

Yu Darvish

Felix Doubront

Danny Duffy

Nate Eovaldi

Marco Estrada

Yovani Gallardo *

Jaime Garcia

Matt Garza *

Gio Gonzalez

Miguel Gonzalez

Jason Hammel

Matt Harrison *

Derek Holland *

Hisashi Iwakuma *

Ubaldo Jimenez

John Lackey

Francisco Liriano

Jordan Lyles

Lance Lynn

Kris Medlen

Wade Miley *

Mike Minor *

Matt Moore

Charlie Morton

Jon Niese

Ricky Nolasco *

Jarrod Parker

Mike Pelfrey

Martin Perez *

Michael Pineda

Tyson Ross

CC Sabathia

Chris Sale *

Anibal Sanchez *

Hector Santiago

Chris Tillman

Josh Tomlin *

Jason Vargas

Edinson Volquez

Chris Young *

[Crash2303]

Interesting you'd have Brinson up over Phillips when Brinson is in AAA and Phillips in AA.

 

good call on my oversight- I edited it. see above

[MrTPlush]

Interesting you'd have Brinson up over Phillips when Brinson is in AAA and Phillips in AA.

 

Yah Brinson is going to be up next year at the LATEST. I wouldn't be shocked at all if he debuted this September and after surprisingly bringing up Arcia already I wouldn't be surprised if he was on the opening day roster.

[pacopete4]

Brinson and Arcia on the opening day roster next year is a very exciting thing to think about.

[MrTPlush]

When it comes to the 2018 payroll and spending money you can't forget about future arbitration salaries. Not 2018 arbitration, but the following years. We won't have anywhere near $70mil to spend...probably more like half that figure. Which to be fair is still a lot of money for a team like us.

 

Regardless when the time comes some of the "holes" people are worried about will be filled or the "ace" we are lacking can be signed(though a second tier ace) through free agency. Heck maybe even a legit ace if we want. A lot of people think we can't afford one, but that really isn't accurate. If Stearns doesn't hand out a lot of extensions instead opting to trade players once they get closer to free agency we will have a steady flow of younger talent to keep payroll down. Riskier, but it is a way to build a team and unlikely to need full rebuild mode in the long run.

[adambr2]

Do we really want Brinson on the opening day roster? I'm not sure that makes sense strategically. I was thinking mid 2017.

[MrTPlush]

Do we really want Brinson on the opening day roster? I'm not sure that makes sense strategically. I was thinking mid 2017.

 

No I don't even want Arcia up. Just pointing out what the Brewers could likely do. He had Brinson not on the 2018 roster(which he has since changed).